10 Questions: Ahmon Stamps

Ahmon Stamps is a man of many things, but most know him for his infectious laugh, his big smile, and his man sized lines in the Oregon backcountry. Ahmon is always snowboarding rain or shine, and always making the best of any and all conditions. Now riding at the top of his game lets look into the mind of a man in love with the shred.

1. So how old are you? Just kidding, but you grew up in Atlanta and then somehow ended up around Oregon? How did that happen?

Well, while living in Atlanta I had a dream, I had to not get in trouble and be a good lil’ boy. No, really my friend Michael and I had a friend Rachel that moved out to Portland to live with her dad and since we were headed down a one way path to the big house, she thought it would be a good idea for us to move out to Oregon to get our shit together. That idea sounded great to me since I just had my moms house seized for certain reasons we wont disclose. Lets just say it was a great idea.

2. Then how did snowboarding start for you?

Since middle school I was a lil’ skater boy so the second I got off the plane here in Oregon I went skating downtown and the first person that I met was Cory Grove and his buddy Josh Hannum. This was in the fall of ’94. We skated everyday for like two months. Then October hit and the rain started to fall. Cory and josh said that they were moving to the mountain to snowboard for the winter and it would be wise of me to do so since it was going to rain all winter long and If I came up there I could find them at the Mt. Hood 26 snowboard shop. So one day my friend mike and I took our friend Rachel’s car and went up there to check it out. Stopped by the shop of course no Cory ’cause he was shredding. We went to (Mt. Hood) Meadows and coincidentally they were holding a job fair that day. They gave us jobs and said the resort would open in a few weeks. When the mountain opened it was like home, skating the downtown Atlanta lines only on snow. We met so many cool people.

3. You have been in the game for … forever? Who did you start riding with?

I started shredding with all sorts of people after all I was the pepper in the saltshaker. I mainly snowboarded with Marc Derego (Shortround), Chris Coyle, Brian Waters (Fro), Josh King, Chuck Pierce, Rich McKay, Nathan Duby, Grove, and the rest of the cats from the Mt. Hood 26 shop. Man those were the days, living in Government Camp.

4. When and how did you realize that you had a future in snowboarding?

I never really thought I had a future in snowboarding. I didn’t look at it like that, it’s something that I love to do, money or not. Thinking that way would get me up with the likes of Dave England who set out to try to prove me wrong by giving me a check out in this magazine that he worked for Snowboarder. With the help of Dave England, Lael Gregory, and Will Gilmore I ended up with sponsors—thanks fellas.

5. So you rode Meadows for years, and then moved down to Mammoth. Tell us about that?

Oh yeah I moved to Mammoth a few years ago. Loved and hated it. Loved it because of all the homies that were there that I never got to shred with or see till the summer. But wasn’t really feeling the park session all day every day. Nah what I mean? I had fun there but I like riding the Northwest more as opposed to Mammoth. Oh yeah I did get beat up there for Kevin Casillo’s twenty-first birthday. Me, him, and four or five dudes from LA. Yeah that hurt.

6. Did you have fun working at Grenade?

Working at grenade! How was that? The best job ever. those guys are the best. You’re broke and need money to eat come work for us. Go shred all day then come in and work a sweet night schedule, oh you need time off to travel? No problem, come in when you get back. Matt, Nicole, Danbo; yalls shred company rocks. That’s all I have to say about that.

7. So the llast few winters you have been hanging out with the whole grenade crew, what’s it like working and riding with all those guys?

Shreddin’ with the Grenerds? Really you’re askin’ that one eh? Well the answer is riding with those peeps is just plane fun. That’s all it is to them and me and I guess that’s why I enjoy shreddin’ with them like I do. Its fun, they’re fun, that equals fun and I like to have fun, fun, fun.

8. So now you’re back in the right state of Oregon, are you glad to be back home?

So glad to be home there’s nothing like it. I know it like the back of my hand. Oregon is my place; I fit in here. My roots are imbedded here in the soil.

9. What have you been doing this season?

This season has been filled with pow days with the homies. I’ve been having the hot sessions with Colin Langlois, Jeff Kramer, Mr. Kyle F. Clancy,Slater, Flood when he puts the cigs and Red Bull down. Oh yeah home town pow lines with Clint, Redrum, Body, Chris Proudy and many others.

10. So what’s next? And give some fools some props.

What’s next? What’s next for me is more shreddin’ with the homies. I’ve not yet begun to shred. I would like to thank all my homies and homettes that have made a pow turn or two with me. High five I’m out.